The Secret Garden · Chapter
I Am Colin explained
Mary reveals the secret garden to Colin, who becomes obsessed with seeing it.
What happens
Mary reveals the secret garden to Colin, who becomes obsessed with seeing it. She persuades him to keep it a secret, describing its wonders. Later, Mary hears crying again and discovers Colin in his room, where he shows her a portrait of his mother and expresses his bitterness about her death and his own ill health.
Themes in this chapter
Secrecy and Discovery
Mary and Colin bond over the secret garden, with Mary pleading to keep it hidden to preserve its magic and intimacy.
Grief and Healing
Colin's grief over his mother's death and his own illness is evident, and the secret garden offers a potential path to healing.
Transformation and Growth
Colin's curiosity about the garden and spring suggests a budding desire for life and change, contrasting his earlier resignation to death.
Characters to notice
- Mary Lennox
Mary shares the secret garden with Colin, persuades him to keep it hidden, and later investigates his crying, discovering him in his room.
- Colin Craven
Colin is introduced as a spoiled, sickly boy who becomes fascinated by the secret garden and shows Mary a portrait of his mother, expressing his resentment over her death.
- Martha Sowerby
Martha appears briefly when Mary shows her Dickon's drawing of a missel thrush, and she proudly identifies it.
- Dickon Sowerby
Dickon is mentioned through his drawing of a missel thrush, which Mary interprets as a message of secrecy and friendship.
- Ben Weatherstaff
Ben is referenced in Mary's story to Colin about the robin and the garden.
Key passages
“I would make them. Everyone is obliged to please me. I told you that.”
Colin asserts his authority, claiming that everyone must obey him because he is the heir to Misselthwaite.
This reveals Colin's spoiled nature and his sense of entitlement, which Mary finds both strange and intimidating.
“I don't suppose I shall. Ever since I remember anything I have heard people say I shan't.”
Colin expresses his belief that he will die young, as he has been told this all his life.
This highlights Colin's fatalistic attitude and the emotional burden of his illness.
“If the garden was a secret and we could get into it we could watch the things grow bigger every day, and see how many roses are alive. Don't you see? Oh, don't you see how much nicer it would be if it was a secret?”
Mary argues that keeping the garden a secret would make it more special, allowing them to observe its growth privately.
This shows Mary's desire to preserve the garden's mystery and her growing bond with Colin through shared secrecy.
“I never had a secret, except that one about not living to grow up. They don't know I know that, so it is a sort of secret. But I like this kind better.”
Colin admits that his only secret has been his awareness of his own expected death, but he prefers the secret of the garden.
This marks a shift in Colin's focus from death to the possibility of life and discovery.
“She is my mother. I don't see why she died. Sometimes I hate her for doing it.”
Colin shows Mary a portrait of his mother and expresses anger and confusion over her death, which he blames for his own suffering.
This reveals Colin's deep-seated grief and resentment, central to his character's emotional state.
